October 29, 2011

30 infants have died in 72
hours but that has still not prompted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
to come out and clarify on what her government is doing to stop babies from
dying in government hospitals.

Thirteen newborns died in
the Burdwan Medical College and four more at Kolkata's B C Roy Children's
Hospital, which has witnessed a series of crib deaths, taking the toll in the
two government hospitals in West Bengal to 30 on Friday.

Though the deaths have raised a question mark on the
standard of healthcare in paediatric hospitals in the state, authorities claimed
that it was not unusual.

Since Thursday, four babies died
at the B C Roy Children's Hospital and 12 at the Burdwan Medical College and
Hospital, which also saw a death yesterday. "The one-to-three day-old babies
were underweight and suffering from jaundice, encephalitis and septicaemia,"
Burdwan Medical College and Hospital Deputy Superintendent Tapas Kumar Ghosh
said.

Deputy Director of Medical Education Susanta Banerjee
and Health Commissioner Dilip Ghosh were sent by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
to the hospital.

Banerjee said that there was no medical
negligence in the death of the babies as they were referred in a moribund stage
and that one or two deaths occurred daily. He said that in two and half months
the number of beds would be increased to 190 from the current 60.

The Deputy Medical Superintendent of the hospital said the
doctors did their best to save the lives of the babies at the hospital where 160
infants were being treated against its capacity of 60 beds.

At the B C Roy Children's Hospital, another four babies
died taking up the toll there to 17 in the last three days. "Four babies,
referred to us in a critical condition, died since yesterday," its
superintendent D Pal said. There was "nothing abnormal or unusual" in the death
of babies, mostly below one month, Pal said, as they were admitted in extremely
critical conditions.

Pal said on an average, five infant
deaths occurred in the hospital of the daily admission of nearly 300, mostly
referred by district hospitals.

Noting that the hospital
was overburdened with patients referred from district hospitals, Pal maintained
that the best of care was given to the babies admitted.

The
health department earlier gave a clean chit to the B C Roy Children's Hospital
after an internal inquiry. The Director of Medical Education said no lapse was
found in the treatment of the babies, who were brought in a moribund state.

Four more babies died at Kolkata's B.C. Roy
Children's Hospital, which has witnessed a series of crib deaths, besides 12
newborns in the Burdwan Medical College, taking the death toll in two
government hospitals in West Bengal to 29 today.

Though the crib deaths have raised a question
mark on the standard of medical care in paediatric hospitals in the state,
hospital authorities claimed that it was 'not unusual'.

Twelve babies have died at the Burdwan
Medical College and Hospital in Burdwan district and four at the B.C. Roy
Children's Hospital here since yesterday, authorities said today.

"The one-to-three days old babies were
underweight and suffering from jaundice, encephalitis and septicemia,"
Burdwan Medical College and Hospital Deputy Superintendent Tapas Kumar Ghosh
said.

Doctors did their best to save the lives of
the babies, but all were born with critical complaints at the hospital where
160 infants were being treated against its capacity of 60 beds, he said.

In Kolkata, at the B.C. Roy Children's
Hospital, another four babies died taking up the toll there to 17 in the last
three days.

"Four babies, referred to us in a
critical condition, died in the hospital in the last 24 hours," its
superintendent D Pal said.

There was 'nothing abnormal or unusual' in
the death of babies, mostly below one month, Pal said, as they were admitted in
an extremely critical condition.

Pal said on an average, five infant deaths
occurred in the hospital of the daily admission of nearly 300, mostly referred
by district hospitals.

Stating that the hospital was overburdened
with patients referred from district hospitals, Pal maintained that the best of
care was given to the babies admitted.

But The health department yesterday gave a clean
chit to the B.C. Roy Children's Hospital after an internal inquiry.

Director of Medical Education Sushanta
Banerjee said no lapse was found in the treatment of the babies, who were
brought in a moribund state.